Modern society has adopted wireless communication devices for various purposes, such as connecting users of the wireless communication with other users and/or accessing services and information available in a network, e.g. in the Internet. Wireless communication devices can vary from battery powered handheld devices to stationary household and/or commercial devices utilizing an electrical network as a power source. Due to rapid development of the wireless communication techniques, both a number of devices capable of, or even relying on, wireless communication and a number of areas or locations capable of providing wireless connection has also increased and is expected to continue to increase.
Cellular wireless networks facilitate communication over large geographic areas, and may hence be referred to as (wireless) wide area networks. While cellular wireless networks are widely applied to provide users of mobile devices with a wireless network connection (also) for transmitting and receiving data, e.g. due to cost and capacity issues they may not be appropriate for all data transfer applications.
Short-range wireless communication technologies provide communication solutions that may be applied to alleviate e.g. the cost and capacity issues involved in cellular wireless communication. Examples of short-range wireless technologies include Bluetooth (BT) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), described e.g. in the Bluetooth Specification Version 4.0, Specification Volume 3—Core System Package [Host volume] Part C, Section 11 (publication date 30 Jun. 2010). Further examples of short-range wireless technologies include wireless local area network (WLAN) according to IEEE 802.11 series of standards, Wireless USB, ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4, IEEE 802.15.4a), and ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) technologies. However, wireless access points (or hotspots) serving as connection points to the network for mobile devices relying on short-range wireless communication are available only in certain locations, thereby providing geographically limited means of wireless network access.
Near field communication technologies, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, comprise a range of RF transmission systems, for example standardized and proprietary systems for a large number of different purposes, such as product tagging for inventory handling and logistics, theft prevention purposes at the point of sale, and product recycling at the end of the life-cycle of the tagged product. In addition to RFID technologies, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology has recently evolved from a combination of existing contactless identification and interconnection technologies. NFC is both a “read” and “write” technology. Communication between two NFC-compatible devices occurs when they are brought within close proximity of each other: A simple wave or touch can establish an NFC connection that may be used to exchange information, e.g. information that is specific to a connection employing another communications protocol, which information may then be used to create or manage an actual connection employing the other communications protocol, e.g. BT or WLAN.